Most meetings in Wellfleet are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting that interests you on the calendar at wellfleet-ma.gov for details. All meetings are at Town Hall unless otherwise indicated.
Thursday, June 5
- Nauset Regional School Committee, 6 p.m., Middle School, Orleans and online
Friday, June 6
- Select Board site visit to review fire damage, 2 p.m., Town Pier and Harbormaster’s Office
Saturday, June 7
- Household Hazardous Waste Disposal, 9 a.m. to noon, Transfer Station
Tuesday, June 10
- Marina Advisory Committee, 6 p.m.
- Select Board, 6 p.m., Adult Community Center
Wednesday, June 11
- Natural Resources Advisory Board, 1 p.m., online only
- Historical Commission, 5 p.m., online only
Thursday, June 12
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Adult Community Center
Conversation Starters
Launching the Harbor Survey
Natural Resources Advisory Board members Laura Hewitt and Jake Puffer reported at the May 20 select board meeting on plans for a comprehensive ecological survey of Wellfleet Harbor.
The select board had asked the advisory board to create a concrete proposal and hard cost estimate for the harbor survey project in 2019. The NRAB has now done so, Hewitt said, presenting a report on costs, scope, and research needs for the survey, which the board contracted the Center for Coastal Studies to develop.
According to the report, the survey results will address gaps in available biological data on species like blood clams, green crabs, and phytoplankton, as well as interactions between predators and pests threatening farmed shellfish like shell-boring sponges and worms. All told, the survey is projected to cost between $70,000 and $80,000 over a 15-month period.
A comprehensive survey of local species’ populations and health has not been completed in the harbor since 1972. “We’re well overdue for a look,” Hewitt said. “It will allow us to understand a new baseline and improve how we can deal with the impact of climate change.”
The select board members said they would support the advisory board’s search for grants or dedicated Community Preservation Act funding for the project.
Public Comments on Watershed Plan
Wellfleet’s targeted watershed management plan is now in the hands of the state, after the select board voted on May 13 to send it to the Mass. Environmental Policy Office. On June 11, the state will open a public comment period on the plan, putting it on the Mass. Energy and Environmental Affairs online portal. People can submit written comments on the watershed plan through the portal, by email, or by mail until July 11. —Tyler Jager
